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Field Report: Making Immunizations for Children Accessible in Haiti

by
Katie Carroll
| Apr 22, 2014

We are very grateful to share with you how your generous gifts are helping mothers and children in Haiti. Thank you for supporting our Haiti programs!

In Crochu, Haiti, mothers need to walk about four hours to bring their children to a health facility to receive necessary shots. The ones who can afford, spend about 150 gourdes ($3.33 USD) for transportation beside money for food during the day out. Otherwise children receive vaccines only when there is immunization campaign: one or two times a year.

Thanks to you, this month Medical Teams International was able to coordinate with the UCS (a group of local public health institutions) to bring immunization services closer to the community. MTI received supplies such as cool boxes, syringes, cotton balls, alcohol, vaccines, vitamin A, bio-security boxes,scales, registers and forms. We also facilitated the organization of a rally post where children, pregnant women and women of reproductive age received primary health services such as immunization shots, vit A, weighing, education on health topic, through mothers’ clubs activities with the support of health committees.

The community of Démier had the opportunity to organize the first rally post. The members of the mother club “Vérité” had the responsibility to invite and sensitize their neighbors to come to the post. They also prepared the place in the community to receive the mothers and children.

The members of the Vérité club were very proud of their accomplishment. They shared with MTI staff, “This is the mother club that make it possible for the community to receive the services closer. The parents can bring their children and go back to their occupation. They don’t spend time or money for transportation and they don’t lose the day of work.”